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Wednesday, 21 December 2011

Road to London 2012 (I): The Lee Valley White Water Centre

Slowly 2011 is coming to an end and we face an exciting 2012, year that will reach its peak in August at the Summer Olympics London 2012. From Elite Kayak we will approach this great venue through a report series where we will touch all the facts surrounding the event everybody waits for every four years, both in White Water Slalom and Flatwater Sprint.

Today, we start introducing you the Lee Valley White Water Centre, 30km. North of the Olympic City, which started its building at July 2009 and was... ...already opened to the public this last Spring 2011. Last summer successfully welcomed 175 paddlers from 30 countries to the Preolympic Test.

Two courses have been built, one of 300 metres long for competition and a shorter of 160 m. for intermediate and training. A 10.000 squared metres lakewill feed the pumps which will allow 15 cubic metres per second at the competition course. Artificial obstacles, deliberately made with an artifical look that appears a bit strange at first sight (but we are sure that will become really attractive for spectators after a few descents), will create the White Water. The Olympic competition wil take place from July 29th. to August 2nd.

After the Games, the temporary seats will be removed, but the two curses will remain as a major attraction for leisure canoeing and rafting, suitable from beginners to elite paddlers, managed by the Lee Valley Park Autorithy. But in parallel, it will also offer an extensive sports development programme, run in partnership with the British Canoe Union.